WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Democrats walked out of a closed-door briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi on March 18, 2026, less than one hour after the session began. The briefing concerned the Justice Department's handling of records related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The walkout occurred one day after the Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 to subpoena Bondi, with five Republicans joining Democrats in favor of the move. Committee chair James Comer of Kentucky announced the subpoena had been sent to Bondi, calling for her sworn testimony on April 14, 2026.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with members of the House Oversight Committee at Capitol Hill on March 18, 2026. Less than one hour after the briefing began, the Democratic members of the panel left the room.

Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters that Bondi did not commit to honoring the panel's subpoena. "It's outrageous, it's infuriating and it continues this White House coverup of the Epstein files," Garcia said. "We're not going to take that anymore."

Comer suggested the walkout was premeditated and part of a political game. "They came out, clutching their pearls, complaining that she wasn't answering questions," Comer said. "The first three people to ask questions, all they did was complain."

During the briefing, there was a verbal argument between Comer and Representative Summer Lee of Pennsylvania. Comer later wrote on X: "I said Democrats were bitching and wasting everyone's time because Democrats were bitching and wasting everyone's time." Comer said, "She was just complaining about the format."

Bondi defended the Justice Department's handling during the briefing. "I made it crystal clear, I will follow the law," Bondi said. "We're proud of the work we've done on this."

At a House Oversight Committee hearing last month, Pam Bondi praised the Justice Department's efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Congress passed a law late last year requiring the Justice Department to publish its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

The Justice Department has released millions of government files on Jeffrey Epstein in recent months following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The law required the public release of most information from the Epstein investigation files, which span multiple federal investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.